Woks for Washington

Woks for Washington is a grassroots initiative based in the Washington, DC metro area, focused on preserving Asian American culture, primarily through sharing Asian cuisine.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen increased racism and xenophobia against the Asian American community, prompting us to reflect on our dual identities as both Asians and Americans. Having these dual backgrounds means that we have a duty to do our best for the good of our communities here in the DC area and in the US as a whole, and a duty to continue sharing our culture with our non-Asian brothers and sisters, so that one day we may lessen the underlying prejudices against us, and help to unify Americans and bridge racial divides.

We’ve chosen to focus on Asian cuisine due to the increased phobia of Asian spaces and food following COVID, and because we think Asian cuisine is an essential part of our culture.

Preserving Asian cuisine serves as a major way for the Asian community to continue to share what makes us so diverse with the rest of the world, since it’s often one of the easiest and most palatable ways in which people can experience our culture. Through preserving Asian cuisine, we hope we can also help to maintain and grow the diversity unique to the DC area, and continue to play a part in making our capital a place that welcomes all races, cultures, and nationalities.

Woks for Washington will use donations to purchase meals from local Asian restaurants in need and deliver that to essential workers in the community.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, student volunteers will be earning SSL hours through virtual opportunities like designing marketing/fundraising tools.